Torpedo-guard and mine-catcher.



A. C. LOUTHAN.

TORPEDO GUARD AND MINE CATCHER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 27. 1916.

1,232,060, Patented July 3, 1917.

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m gnvmrfoi floaLauiizan Patented July 3, 1917.

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I l p attoznu A. C. LOUTHAN.

IORPEDO GUARD AND MlNE CATCHER.

APPLICATION FILED muzl. 191-6.

Patented July 3, 191% 3r SHEETS-SHEET 3.

0 5 ,gnua nfo'c entrain snares PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR G. 'LOUTHAN, OF, ARCOLA, ILLINOIS.

TORPEDO-GUARD AND MI'IilE-CATCHER.

description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to a torpedo guard and mine catcher for vessels.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of torpedo guards .and mine catching devices and to provide a simple, practical and comparatively ineX- pensiveconstruction adapted to be readily applied to various types of vessels and capa ble of convenient operation to carry the guards to and from a projecting position.

A further object of the invention is to pro *ide a torpedo guard of this character equipped with means for catching a mine 1 and for operating a signal to indicate at the desired point on a vessel that the mine vide a torpedo guard which when in its excatching means caught a mine.

Another Ob ectof the lnvention is to protcnded protecting position will automatically maintain itself in spaced relation with the hull of a vessel and which will be also adapted to deflect and turn a torpedo and cause the same to travel along at the side of the guard.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described,.illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed outin the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantagcs of the invention.

In the drawings i Figure 1 is a plan view of a torpedo guard and mine catcher constructed in accordance with this invention, Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same, the guard at one side of the vessel being shown in an extended protecting position and the guard at the opposite side being elevated and folded,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fig. '3 is a side elevation of a portion of the torpedo guard,

Fig. 4: is a front elevation of the same,

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the front section which carries a mine catching device,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the mine catching device,

Fig. 7 is a detail View of theportion of one of the motors and the drums or wheels for raising and lowering the torpedo guard,

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view illustrating theconstruction of the bottom bars,

Fig. 9 is a detail View showing the elongated eyes or loops, and i Fig. 10 is a cross section of a bottom bar.

Like numerals of'refe ence des gnate corresponding parts inv the several figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the pi'efcrred embodiment of the invention, the torpedo guard comprises in its construction, a plurality of sections adapted to form a shield or inclosure for a vessel 2 and extending entirely around the same so as to protect the vessel at the bow and stern as well as at the sides thereof. Each section consists of a bottom bar or member 3 and a plurality of parallel longitudinally disposed rods 4 which are con nected with each other and with the bottom member or bar 3 by short vertical chains 5 or other suitable flexible connections. The short vertical chains or connecting members 5 are preferably sprocket chains which are adapted to permit the sections to collapse or fold as they are drawn upwardly' and are adapted at the same time to resist relative longitudinal movement of the rods and the bottom bar. The rods and the bottom bar are also connected by stays or braces 6 Patented July 3, 1917.

Application filed May 27, 1916. -Seria1 No. 100,326.

located at the endsof the sections and ex tending from the bottom bar 3 to he uppermost horizontal rod.

The horizontal. ro re provided at their ends with eyV preferably curved in cross section as shown to stiffen them and to add rigidity to the sections and also to prevent'the bottom bars from being readily thrown laterally through the water.

These bottom bars are provided at their terminals'with front and,

arranged in overlapping relatlo'n and recelvlng supporting flexlble rear laterally deflected portions 9 and 10 constituting rudders and adapted when the vessel progresses forwardly to cause the water to act against them and tend to urge the sections of the guard outwardly whereby the said sections of the guard are maintained in spaced relation with the hull and any tendency of the protector to swing in wardly toward the hull is etlectually counteracted. The-s ections are preferably flexibly connected at their adjacent ends by links 11 arranged asj llustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawings and preferably of oblongformation and linked into eye bolts 12. The links are adapted to maintain the sections in substantial alinement and they also permit the sections to have a limited relative movement to prevent injury to them and at the same time they maintain them in substantial alinement and prevent a too great separation at their adjacent edges. The intervening space between the laterally deflected portion 9 which extends outwardly at the front of the sections and the laterally deflected portion 10 which extends inwardly at the rear of the sections will permit the passage of water through the space between the sections so that the terminal rudder portions will be affected. The sprocket chains 8 which assist in adding rigidity to the sections extend upwardly through slidable arms 13 arranged at an inclination and eX- tending through the sides or walls of the hull of the vessel and movable inwardly and outwardly from the position illustrated at the left hand side of Fig. 2 of the drawings to that shown at the right hand side of the same to carry the sections of the guards inwardly and outwardly and also to elevate the same above the surface of the water and extend the said arms to within a short distance of the surface of the water so that the sections will depend into the water and project slightly above the same and form a cou'iplctc protecting inclosure around the hull of a vessel for preventing tor 'icdocs fired at the vessel from reaching the hull. The hollow arms 13 through which the sprocket chains pass may be circular or of any other desired form and they have downturned outer terminals 1+ against which the sections of the guard are drawn and the said sections are adapted to oollapsc and fold compactly togthcr when the sprockcl chains are drawn upwardly by means of suitable mcchanism prct'erably consisting of clcctric motors l3 located at cach oi the inclined arms 13. but any other suitable actuating mcchanism may of -ourse bc cmploycd Each inclined arm 13 will be preferably equipped with a motor 1:) having a sprockct whccl or drum lll mounlcd on its shaft 17 but the shaft 17 may be connected by any suitable gearing with the drum 16 for cutting down the speed to the dcsired number of revolutions so that the drum or wheel 16 may be rotated at the desired speed. The sprocket chain 8 is suitably secured to the drum or wheel 16 with Which is also connected a drum or wheel 18 receiving a flexible connection 19 consisting of a cable or the like extending from the drum or wheel 18 to a guide pulley 20 located-at the side of the vessel below the upper end of the inclined arm 13 with Which the outer end 21 of the flexible connection 19 is secured. The flexible connection 19 iii wound on the drum or wheel 18 in the reverse direction irom the sprocket chain 8 and when the flexible connection is wound around its drum 18 the sprocket chain is unwound from the sprocket-wheel or drum 1(5. The motors may be controlled from anyl desired point so that the torpedo guards may .be moved to and from their extended protecting position as required. The hull in practice will be equipped with suitable" stutiing boxes or other means for providing a water tight connection at the point where the arms extend through the sides of the hull and the arms are supported by upper and lowe anti-friction wheels22 and 23 for relieving the arms of strain and to enable them to slide freely through the hull. The drums or wheels will be properly proportioned so that the rotation of the shaft on which they are mounted will carry the arms outwardly to their extended position and simultaneously lower the guard to its protecting position. By this arrangement the arms move downwardly and outwardly and the guard is simultaneously dropped so that the parts are brought to their protecting position in the shortest possible time without any unnecessary loss of time which occurs through successive operation of the parts. hen the shaft is rotated in the reverse direction the collapsible sections of the guard are raised to. the lower ends of the inclined arms and the latter will be drawn inwardly. Any suitable means may be employed for locking the parts in their inopcrativo position.

The sections are designed to be arranged in substantially parallelism with the sides of the hull and front and rear sections extend across the bow and stern of the hull. The front section is equipped at the bottom with a plurality of tapering projecting heads 24 of approximately V-shape mounted on a transverse shaft or pintle 95 and forming tapered intervening spaces 26 between them which are adapted to engage the anchoring cable or chain of a floating mine. in practice the sections of the guard will ex tcnd below the water to substantially the bottom oi the hull or they may project slightly below the same and sections of any depth may be employed, and the mine engaging device is located at the bottom of wardly and t eater) the front section so as to extend below the mine and catch the cable, chain or other flexible connections connected therewith. The heads 24 which have convergingsides are normally maintained in substantially a horizontal position by springs 27 which are connected with the heads and with the guard and when the pivoted mine engaging device comes in contact with the flexible connection. of a mine, the pivots or shafts 'Will be partially rotated and will oscillate an arni 28 that is connected by a suitable flexible connection 29 with a signal located at an appropriate portion of the ship for warning the same of the fact that the mine catcher has come in contact with a mine.

This will enable the ship to be promptly stopped and the mine extracted from the catching means and properly disposed of. The vessel is provided at the front with suitable supports 30 for the inclined arms of the front section which may be of any desired width and stay chains 31 are preferably provided for enabling the arms when at their extended. positions to be relieved of excessive strain incident to the mounting of the mine catching device on the front section. The shaft or pintlc 25 is journaled at its ends 31 in suitable bearings.

Should a torpedo strike the guard at the sides of the the nose of torpedo would in all probability enter one of the openings formed between the longitudinal members and the connecting chain and the torpedo would be deflected land its head r Y toe turned. in the direction of the movement or' vessel Should, however, the torpedo explode a sullicient wall of water between y l the vessel oi. the guard would the hu 1 of prevent material injury to the vessel.

in oree to reduce the number oi": inclined su 'iporting arms and enable the singularly related sections of the protector to worlr inwardl and outwardly at the angle formed by two or"? such sections the latter are provided with elongated eyes or openings formed by loops 4? as clearly illustrated in Fig. oil the drawings.

The sections the protector are connected with the arms 13 by short chains 32 secured to the upper longitudinal rods and to collars or clamps 33 mounted on the lower ends of thc'inclined arms and having" laterally projecting lugs or cars to which the said chains secured. This limits the downward movement of the sections of the protector and n'iaintnins the same in proper position with relation to the arms.

Ty l'iat is claimed is:-

l. A. torpedo protector of the class described including a flexible section comprising; a plurality. oi longitudinal members and flexible connections between the same, said section being adapted to collapse upmeans connected with the. section at the bottom and slidably connected with the longitudinal members above the bottom for-moving the same inwardly and outwardly and for simultaneously collapsing and unfolding the section.

2. A protecting device of the class describedincluding a flexible section comprising a plurality of horizontal members, flexible connecting; means between thesinembers, said members being spaced apart and the sections being adapted to collapse upwardly and means for raising and lowering the section and for moving the same inwardly and outwardly, said means connected at the bottom to the section and slidably connected with the horizontal members above the bottom and operating to move the section outwardly and downwardly and simultaneonsly permit an expansion or unfolding of the section.

3. A protecting device otthe class described including a vertical guard composed of spaced horizontal members and flexible connecting means between the said members, hollow arms slidably mounted and movable through the sides of the vessel and flexible connections slidable through the hollow arms and connected with the said sections at the bottom thereof and slidably connected above the bottom and adapted to collapse the said sections upwardly when the arms are drawn inwardly. 4. ii protecting device of the class described including a vertical guard composed of a plurality of sections provided with longitudinal bottom bars having their front terminals bent outwardly and their rear terminals bent inwardly to form rudder portions, the adjacent rudder portions of the iguous sections being arranged in spaced relation andmeans for flexibly connecting such spaced rudderportions with. each other.

2i protector of the class described including i'ipwardly collapsible sections provided with horizontal members having re, ;gistering eyes and flexible connections between the members, a supporting flexible connection connected with the sections at the bottom thereof and extending through the said eyes and lie-ans for operating the supporting flexible connections for raising and lowering; and simultaneously collapsing and expanding the said sections.

6. A protector of the class described including upwardly collapsible sections provided with horizontal members having registering eyes and flexible connections between the members, a supporting flexible connection connected with the sections at the bottom thereof and extending" through. the said eyes, a slidably mounted inclined tubular arm receiving the flexible supporting connection, a separate flexible connection connected with the saidarm forecwith the horizontal members aesaeee tuating the same, guiding means for the last mentioned flexible connection and drums or Wheels having the supporting flexible connection and the actuating flexible connection reversely wound around them and means for rotating the drums or wheels.

7. A protector of the class described including an inclined tubular arm, means for slidably mounting the tubular arm on a vessel, said means including upper and lower anti-friction Wheels, an upwardly collapsible' section, a flexible connection extending through the tubular arm and connected with the section 'at the bottom there of, a drum or Wheel connected with the flexible connection and adapted to be rotated to Wind the same around it and unwind it from it and means for sliding the tubular arm inwardly and outwardly.

8. A protector of the class described including inclined tubular arms extending outwardly from .a vessel, means for slidably mounting the said arms, upwardly collapsible sections, flexible extensions extending through the tubular arms and connected with the sections at the bottom thereof, separate flexible connections connected With the arms for forcing the same outwardly,

means for guiding the latter flexible con nections, pulleys arranged in pairs and and provided With forwardly tapering heads composed of converging side portions secured at their rear ends to the rod and connected at their front ends, a signal, and means for connecting the signal with the mine catcher.

10. A protector of the class described in cluding angularly related flexible upwardly collapsible sections composed of spaced longitudinal rods or members provided at their adjacent ends with elongated loops and a flexible connection passing through the said oops.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

ARTHUR C. LOUTHAN. 

